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  She gripped his hands tighter. “Maybe I could shimmer to you. I came there last night – though I’m not sure how. I can’t lose you again.”

  “You won’t. The only way to show you where I am is through my memories. I should be able to do that through our link.” He stared into her warm brown eyes, watching them shift colour from her emotions. “Are you ready?”

  Charlie nodded.

  “Good, because you have to initiate it. I’m too weak.”

  “How?” Her brow creased.

  Drake touched her cheek. “Close your eyes.”

  She did so.

  “Good, feel our link with your mind then open yourself up to it.” Drake felt her presence at the edge of his senses. He closed his own eyes and let the memories drag them both in.

  Drake blinked as he found himself at the edge of the border between Setara and the Kyral desert where he had stood the last time he’d been free. The sun beat down on him, its rays making the sand shine like tiny diamonds. His heart ached at the memory of leaving Charlie behind.

  Charlie appeared beside him. “Nice to know I wasn’t the only one hurting.”

  Drake frowned. “How are you here? I only meant to show you.”

  “We’re linked, remember, Vlad?” She called him by his nickname and smiled despite her scowl. “When this is all over, remind me to kick your arse. You should never have left me behind.”

  “I needed to keep you safe from that.”

  “Drake, we’re partners. We need to trust each other if we ever gonna have a future together.”

  “I know that now.” He sighed. This wasn’t the time to talk. He walked into the desert and felt a sharp pain on the back of his skull. Fire flared in his palms, he lashed out, sending flames shooting in all directions.

  A scream echoed as someone blew up.

  Drake spun around, seeing a demon with a bright red beard.

  Lochlyn.

  “That’s the guy I saw last night,” Charlie gasped.

  “It’s been a long time, Drakon.” Lochlyn grinned.

  “Why are you here?” Drake growled.

  “Because you’ve harboured your gift long enough. It’s time for it to be passed on to a new host.” Lochlyn raised his hand, an emerald flashing on his finger.

  Drake sank to his knees as an invisible force took hold. His limbs felt like deadweight; his power slipped from his grasp.

  “What is that thing?” Charlie asked.

  “An old artefact. It’s called the Jewel of Antat. It can control any demon – even me to an extent,” he told her. “Lochlyn has been using it, trying to get me to relinquish my powers.”

  “Why?”

  Drake looked away, feeling the familiar shame but knew he had to tell her the truth. If he didn’t, they’d never have a future together. “I’m the real Akaran,” he admitted.

  Charlie fell silent then nodded. “I suspected that.”

  Not the reaction he’d expected. He’d expected shock, horror, disgust at his admission of being the leader of all demons. “I…”

  “I don’t care what you are, Drake. You’re my life mate.” She took his hand. “All that matters is you come back to me.”

  The desert flashed by as he was dragged away and ended up back in a cell. “This is all I remember about how I got here,” he told her. A stabbing pain made him clutch his head. The images around him blurred as his body started pulling his spirit back.

  “No.” Charlie grabbed his hands again.

  “Charlie, I have to go.” He gasped.

  “No, you need to show me more. There has to be something else.”

  Drake pulled her into his arms. “If anything happens to me, I need you to know you’re the only thing in this world I care about.”

  She touched his cheek. “Don’t talk like that,” she snapped. “We’ll get through this. We’ve survived worse.”

  He smiled, clutched her hand. In all his eight thousand years no one had made him feel anything so deeply.

  Drake allowed himself to be dragged back. He gasped as he sank to his knees, the energy surge faded. The cell door still lay open. He had a way out.

  Scrambling up, he staggered out into the passageway, the light from the crystal torches stinging his eyes. He reached for power and try to shimmer but failed. The wards around the building were too strong for him to pass through in his weakened state. He leant against the wall for support to guide his way.

  Drake? Charlie’s voice at the edge of his mind. Drake, answer me, please.

  Charlotte. He blinked, surprised at feeling her there.

  Are you alright?

  I’m – alive. For now. He winced as more pain followed.

  The connection cost him more energy. I can’t talk now, love. He moved down passage, turned left instead of right. That was where they had dragged him for the law the rounds of pain and torture.

  I can see what you see, Charlie remarked. I knew how weak you are, so don’t talk. Just keep moving. I’m on my way.

  How? You don’t know where I am – neither do I for that matter. He looked around, unsure where to go next and doubted he could take down a bunch of guards if they appeared.

  I know you were in the desert, where you last vanished. I’ll go from there.

  Drake passed into another corridor and another two passageways lay beyond. Either could lead him to potential danger.

  Left again, Charlie said.

  How do you know? Drake frowned.

  Just a guess. We need to reconsider that bond thing when this is over.

  He stopped dead. You’d bond with me? You’ve never wanted that.

  Keep moving, you big lug. You’re wasting energy. If we were bonded maybe you wouldn’t be in the mess.

  Drake only grinned like an idiot. The thought gave him strength. He opened a door and found a room stacked with boxes.

  You need to find a way out. Keep moving, she said.

  Drake chuckled. He loved her bossiness. The other door revealed another empty room full of boxes. He ducked inside and pulled open one of the boxes to search for a possible weapon. It was full of explosives.

  Wow, that’s a lot, said Charlie. But don’t get any ideas. Blowing yourself up isn’t an option.

  Fire can’t hurt me.

  Given how weak you are right now, it might. Don’t cause yourself any unnecessary harm – that’s the number one in the life mates’ rulebook.

  There’s a book? He moved through the room, looking for a potential weapon but found none.

  Yeah, I’m writing it. What else do you see?

  Drake glanced around, spotting a barred window. He gripped the bars made from reinforced Silveron. They wouldn’t break without some serious magical force. He peered outside, seeing miles of desert.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Lochlyn appeared in the doorway with a huge grin on his face.

  Drake, run! Charlie’s panic made his own heart beat faster.

  Where? He glanced around. There was no way out.

  Shimmer to me – we‘re connected. Mates can teleport to each other no matter where they are.

  We’re not bonded, Drake reminded her.

  Wait, why can’t you bond with me now? We could sense each other and–

  “You can’t have it,” Drake said and straightened. “You should know by now I’ll never relinquish my power.”

  “I thought of that. That’s why I sent men to go after that witch of yours. Once I have her, you’ll have no choice.” Lochlyn raised his hand.

  Drake doubled over as pain tore through him. Charlie, wherever you are, go to my safe. Get the ring from inside it.

  His last thought was of her.

  Chapter 4

  Charlie let out a scream of frustration as her connection to Drake ended. She scrambled up, stuffing clothes and gear into a small holdall. Drake needed her now. She had to reach him before she lost him. Grabbing her phone, she called Kaz. “Are you and Nigel ready to leave?”

  “No, we were working on
tracking down some leads,” Kaz replied.

  “I know where Drake is. I need to leave now.” She hitched her bag over her shoulder, hurried back to Drake’s office and dialled the code when she found the safe.

  “We can be ready in twenty minutes.” Kaz told her.

  “We don’t have that long.” Charlie pulled out a small wooden box, shoved it into her bag.

  “Be there in five then. Are we teleporting or taking the car?” A banging sound echoed in the background as Kaz moved.

  Charlie stopped as she shoved in some protein bars and tubes of water. She doubted they could carry all their gear and weapons by themselves and they’d need to make a quick getaway. Her car was too small and ill-equipped to cope with the desert. “Drake has a garage full of cars – I’ll find something. Hurry!”

  Charlie rushed down to the lower level of the house where Drake kept an entire fleet of cars. She still felt surprised when the security system let her wander all over the mansion.

  Cars of every make, model and size sprawled through the underground basement. They all gleamed as if they’d just rolled off a showroom floor. It put even her family’s collection to shame. Cars occupied one level, on the next were transpos, a mini bus and even a mini copter.

  She let out a low whistle. My demon likes his tech. She scanned the different vehicles. “Goddess, it could hours to find something in here.” She went over to the house screen that controlled the mansion’s security and computer systems.

  “Hello, little witch,” a too pleasant voice chirped as the system came online. “How may I help you?”

  She tried not to grit her teeth at its perkiness. Machines shouldn’t sound so damn happy. “Now that’s just plain weird. Are there any jeeps in this maze?” Charlie scowled at the screen.

  “Indeed, little witch. What make, model…”

  “Just a jeep that can withstand a desert and has weapon capabilities,” she snapped, tapping her foot.

  A sleek 4x4 slid out in front of her.

  “Nice.” She loaded her bag, weapons and gear inside the boot, then pressed the start button. The engine purred to life as she guided it outside. Kaz and Nigel appeared with bags and packs.

  “Let’s move.”

  Charlie ordered the car to teleport to the desert to the spot where Drake had been taken and stopped the car.

  “Wow, this car is gorgeous,” Kaz breathed.

  Nigel sat in the back seat, staring at one the mini comp screens. “God, have you seen this system? It’s mag!”

  “Kaz, take over. I need to concentrate.” Charlie fazed out, allowing Kaz to slid over into the driving seat. Charlie shifted onto the other seat, pulled out the Srimtar. “Come one, show me Drake.” The orb flashed, then clouded over with a veil of mist. Nothing. Damn it, she’d sensed him before. Drake? She reached out to him with her mind, only to be greeted by silence. “Nige, you’re a shifter, can you smell anything?”

  Nigel got out of the car and moved around in a small circle. “Char, it’s been over a month. There are too many smells out here for me to track anything.”

  “Damn it, I’ve got to get to him.” Her hands clenched into fists.

  “How’d you connect with him earlier?” Kaz asked.

  Charlie shook her head. “I didn’t. He connected with me – like in astral form. He killed a guard and took his energy. They’ll kill him too if we don’t get there in time.”

  “If he’s connected with you, why can’t you do the same?”

  Three men approached dressed in black uniforms, surrounding the jeep.

  “Oh boy.” Kaz pulled out her gun.

  “Car, shield,” Charlie ordered. A glowing blue bubble formed around the vehicle. All three demons started hurling energy balls at them.

  “Who are they?” Nigel tapped away on the mini comp.

  “They look like Goodridge’s guys. Damn, I wondered when they’d come after me again.”

  Goodridge was a gang leader responsible for killing her former enforcer team mates when her team had unknowingly tried to bust him as he tried to get a hold of the Srimtar. He’d had a price on her head and been gunning for her ever since.

  They all rolled their windows down and returned fire, both with bullets and rounds of static. Energy and bullets zipped through the air, batting against the car’s shield. Charlie saw the shield’s energy level had already gone down to half.

  Four more demons appeared. They looked different from the others, Charlie guessed they were Lochlyn’s men.

  “We’re sitting ducks here!” Kaz yelled over the blasts of gun fire and exploding energy.

  Charlie leapt from the car. “I’ll draw their fire!” She dropped and rolled, shooting the first demon in the chest, then sending a second hurtling into one of Lochlyn’s guys. Fireballs came at her. The ground swallowed her up as she fazed out, grains of darkness whirled around her, passing straight through her incorporeal form.

  Kaz and Nigel jumped from the jeep, returning fire.

  Charlie grabbed the feet of two demons, pulled them down into the ground too, then leapt at and punched another in the face. Four down, three to go. One of the demons grabbed her from behind, she elbowed him in the gut then fazed away.

  Srimtar, she thought and the glowing orb flew into her hand. “Now I think we all know what this thing is so I’d back the hell off if I were you.”

  Goodridge’s lead demon laughed. “You can’t hurt us with that, witch. Our master cast a spell to protect us from it.”

  Charlie snorted. “You’re bluffing.”

  “Am I?” he asked. “We know the power of the Srimtar better than you do.”

  “I’m its guardian. You can’t and won’t take it from me.” Charlie felt her inner demon clawing at the edge of her mind, itching to get out.

  Let me have control, it said.

  Not flipping likely! I— Charlie gasped as her inner demon took hold. Her eyes flashed a bright blue and the Srimtar hummed with power. A blast of blue lightning shot from her hand. The other demon exploded in a fiery blast.

  She spotted Lochlyn’s only remaining demon as he started to shimmer away. No! Charlie screamed. He is our only lead to finding Drake, stop him! She raised her hand, energy reverberating through the air like thunder without sound. Wow, I can compel demons – when did that happen?

  Charlie gasped as she regained control of her body again. “Listen up, you’re going to take us to Lochlyn right now,” she ordered. “Get in the car.” The demon blinked, dazed and nodded as he climbed into the jeep.

  “Kaz, let’s move.”

  Chapter 5

  Drake groaned as two guards pulled him into the interrogation room. One shoved and bound him to a chair whilst the other pulled out the machine that drained his powers. He wanted to put up a fight but his body felt too drained.

  “Don’t kill him yet,” Lochlyn snapped. “He killed one of my men, punish him.”

  The guards held him down on the floor while they punched and kicked him.

  Drake closed his eyes. He’d become numb to all of it. Hell, he suffered far worse than this in the past. They continued to punch, hit and kick at his head and torso. His head spun, his stomach recoiled but he ignored it.

  Where was Charlie? He missed the feel of her presence at the edge of his mind. She’d vanished after their connection had ended. At least he’d seen her again. He focused on that.

  Another jarring pain almost broke him out of his thoughts as he focused on the memory of her. They stabbed him. He felt the cold steel of the knife ripped through his flesh again.

  Drake gritted his teeth, moved past the pain, let memory drag him in. His thoughts drifted from Charlie to another time.

  He stood outside on the steps of his family’s castle in the heart of Kyral. Its great stone walls glistened like gold rising out of the desert in the morning sun. He smiled. He’d been happy here with his parents and his two siblings.

  A scream sent a chill down his spine.

  He ran inside, hurrying into
the living room and found his mother, her beautiful dark hair matted with blood. Her cold eyes stared up at him, empty, almost accusing.

  “Mama,” he gasped.

  His father lay feet from her, blood gurgling from his mouth. “Drakon…”

  Drake grabbed his father’s big hand. “No, Papa,” he cried in Demonish. “You can’t die, you can’t leave me.”

  Take my power, his father told him.

  Drake shook his head, tears spilling down his cheeks. He was only twenty. He couldn’t lead their people, he wouldn’t.

  Daron and Arya, keep them safe, his father said before his hand went limp in Drake’s.

  Arya, gods, where was his little sister? He dropped his father’s hand, his mind on finding both his brother and sister. “Daron? Arya?” he called. “Answer me!”

  Drake raced through each room, finding guards either dead or dying, but he left them there. Their bodies were covered in burns as if they’d been hit by some kind of blast. All that mattered was finding his sister. Who had done this? What had done this?

  He called for his siblings, flinging open doors as he ran. When he reached his sister’s room, he gasped when he saw her standing by the window. Her back to him. “Arya, something’s happened—”

  “Drake,” she whispered.

  He ran over, catching her as she fell. She’d been hit too. No, not her. Not his sweet little sister with her mop of dark curly hair and ice blue eyes that sparkled when she laughed. “No!” he screamed. “Sister, tell me who did this.” He cradled her in his arms.

  “Didn’t see, no one there. Hidden in shadows,” she rasped. “Drake, you must listen.”

  “I’ll get you to a healer. You won’t die, do you hear me?”

  “Drake.” She clutched his arm. “I’m dying. Soon I will pass from this world.”

  “I’ll find whoever did this, kill them and everyone whoever knew them. I don’t care how long it takes,” Drake vowed, tears stinging his eyes.

  “No – vengeance. You must find – your mate. She’s the light to the darkness. Find her,” she said. “Never stop. It will take many centuries but you’ll find her when you least expect.” She let out one last rasping breath. “Witch who walks in shadow.”